Fast Radius, a Chicago based cloud manufacturing company, is launching custom microfactories to help companies design more efficient supply chains and global production networks. Each microfactory is customised and comes with proprietary software to provide manufacturing and supply chain visibility.

A microfactory is designed to be rapidly stoop up and in production, making specific components or parts for supply chains that may be disrupted or stressed elsewhere in the world.

Microfactories are designed to require low capital expenditure and provide a smaller carbon footprint than traditional factories, giving customers the benefit of more advanced manufacturing and flexible, sustainable supply.

Fast Radius says its Custom Microfactory Solution helps manufacturers mitigate supply chain risks, reduce carbon footprint, lower costs, and improve lead times through localised production.

Each Custom Microfactory is powered by Fast Radius’ Cloud Manufacturing Platform. Customers have access to production from their physical microfactory, along with a suite of software products that allow them to have transparency and visibility into the production processes and supply chain management.

The custom microfactories are owned and operated by Fast Radius, and the customer works hand-in-hand with Fast Radius experts to choose manufacturing technologies and locations that best suit their production needs.

Customers can employ a range of manufacturing methods, including CNC machining and a number of additive manufacturing (3D printing) technologies. The custom microfactories can be located in the same locations as current Fast Radius factories or in new locations to support more targeted needs.

Each Custom Microfactory Solution is built using the templates from Fast Radius’ microfactory network. The template and operating system of these factories have been codified into a digital and operational playbook which are designed to be ‘copy and paste’ into new locations.

“In the face of broken supply chains, our Custom Microfactory Solution frees manufacturers from the headaches and friction caused by today’s slow, rigid, and wasteful models,” said Lou Rassey, Co-Founder and CEO of Fast Radius. “Our offering empowers our customers to specify the type of microfactory they need, where they need it. The result is a more nimble, efficient, and sustainable way to manufacture and move parts.”

“A recent partnership with an industrial customer demonstrates what is exciting about the custom microfactory solution,” said Bill King, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Chief Scientist at Fast Radius. “The microfactory is designed to make a custom structural component for a vehicle, using state-of-the-art CNC machining, automation of material handling, and digital inspection and functional validation testing. These custom elements are built using the Fast Radius microfactory playbook, which uses software to orchestrate orders and factory operations, materials management, quality management, and people management systems. And perhaps most importantly, the custom microfactory is less expensive than the customer making components overseas.”